small. that does it for me. i'm your friend and your only friend, the most important person in your life, america's bad boy, greg gutfeld. over foreclosure abuse. we'll explain what it could mean for you. this is "special report." ♪ ♪ >> bret: good evening. i'm bret baier. millions of americans tonight are trying to figure out if today's deal wean the obama administration and the five largest mortgage lenders will help them get a better deal on refinancing. fox business network senior washington correspondent peter barnes has specifics on the $25 billion settlement. and what it might mean for your mortgage. >> after a year of tough negotiations, five big banks agree to a $25 billion

settlement with the obama managers and 49 states except oklahoma. to clean up foreclosure scandal that included robo signing. >> america's biggest banks, banks that were rescued by taxpayer dollars will be required of them. so to help them avoid forecsure. especially those who owe more than the value of their homes. the banks will use $3 billion to lower interest rates for thousands more. and $5 billion will go to pay small settlements, $1,500 to $2,000 to 700,000 more

families that lost their homes in foreclosure legitimately, but possibly without due process. as well as for state and federal penalties and debt counseling programs. officials said the settlement would set a precedent for helping millions more borrowers looking for better loan terms to help them keep their homes. >> i believe that this agreement will eventually make widespread principle reduction throughout the country commonplace. >> robo signing czar, joseph smith, the former banking commissioner of north carolina will make sure the banks follow through. but one housing advocate said the deal does not go far enough. >> it sounds good on paper, looks good on paper but it's false expectations. this covers only 10% of the overall mortgages in this country. settlement does not apply to millions of other mortgages government by government entities like fannie mae and freddie mac. the administration says those could be fixed through other

programs. it does not settle other investigations including criminal investigations in to mortgage fraud. at the white house, peter barnes, fox news. >> bret: applications for unemployment benefits dropped 15,000 to 358,000 last week, the second lowest level since april of 2008. the dow added 6-1/2 today. the s&p 500 was up two. the nasdaq finished ahead 11. greece's bail-out is running in to more problems. greece gave in to more painful austerity cuts today. but a euro zone finance officer official says greece needs, still needs to identify almost a half billion dollars in additional cuts. and the parly meant needs to pass them on sunday. power workers meantime walked off the jobs today in athens. union leaders called for a two-day general strike. starting friday to protest the latest cost-cutting moves. the surge that led former pennsylvania senator rick santorum to wins tuesday night is bringing in a surge of a

different type. chief washington correspondent james rosen reports on the shifting g.o.p. field. and on the financial fall-out from santorum's three-state sweep this week. >> reporter: stumping in oklahoma two biggest city, show of geographic reach aided by overnight fundraising rick santorum took fresh aim at delegate front runner mitt romney. >> he supported the wall street bail-out. he says i'm the private sector guy and i believe in limited government. i understand the private sector. i'm a guy to create jobs. should government running the healthcare system, manufacturing, energy, and financial services. at least the -- fe is the private sector guy i'd like to see the public sector guy. >> in an interview with neil cavuto the former governor stayed positive and dismissed prediction of open convention like republicans saw in 1940. >> is it mathematically possible? yeah. but usually one or the other runs out of support and

someone else garners the delegate needed for nomination. >> off-camera, however, the romney campaign kept up the attack on santorum and history of using earmarks, staging conference calls with oklahoma budget officials and blasting out detailed e-mails on the subject. santorum did not take it lying down. >> this is a policy. romney campaign -- [ inaudible ] now offing a vision. not going down and talking about his record in massachusetts. >> newt gingrich denied santorum is depriving him of oxygen amongst conservatives. but in an interview with fox news, the former house speaker hardly withheld fire. >> among tea party members i have a stronger problem than rick does. i understand the principled in that i am supportive of the tea partys. not attacking them as he did. >> the gingrich campaign cited this santorum event in harrisburg, p.a., two years ago. >> i have concerns about the movement within the republican

party. to reration conservatism. i will vocally and publicly oppose it. >> the fact is he was a big labor republican that voted with the -- the people can say i want a newt gingrich kind of big solution approach. where i know we'll solve the problem rather than timidity that santorum and romney represent. >> spokesman for santorum told fox news the senator was tea party candidate when there wasn't a tea party. ron paul off the trail for a second straight day today. he is electing tomorrow to skip an influential gathering of conservatives to campaign in state of maine. bret? >> bret: okay. thank you. three of the four remaining presidential hopefuls will be speaking this weekend.

doug mckelway reports there is an enthusiastic crowd waiting. >> 10,000 in the same place for the political conservative action conference, cpac, but more energized by the prospect of defeating the sitting president. >> i'm fearful of the score if we let the president start the second half as the quarterback. >> another candidate took aim at the foreign policy. >> obama's miscalculation are changing history. we're on the verge of a nuclear iran. iran is committed to both destruction of israel, and of the united states. >> the house speaker targeted the domestic policy. >> i looked across the aisle that night. i asked a simple question. can you say you read this bill

that was put together with honesty and integrity instead of closed doors hidden by the people. you remember what i said in hell no, you can't. >> that has become piece of red meat for hungry conservatives here. senator marco rubio received a stand ogvation, from lambasting the controversial mandate from religious institutions, funding birth control in insurance policy. >> don't let the media say this is contraception or religion. this isn't a social issue. this is a constitutional issue. >> for the unanimity, opposition to president obama's policy, cpac attendees ranging from the libertarians to fiscal and social conservatives face intraparty struggle for common identity. candidate that appeals to them all. >> we have a to hold our nose again and go to volt for the east offensive like with mccain. >> many hope the differences are is up le mated in the interest of republican victory. >> i will vote for whoever the republican party puts in

office. i want somebody who is partially conservative, if not completely conservative. >> cpac also ends with a straw poll and last year ron paul won it big. the straw poll is an ambiguous as the campaign season itself. bret? >> bret: more on this with the panel. doug, thank you. chilling news for global warming enthusiasts, later in the grapevine. up next, is time running out for the syrian opposition

♪ ♪ >> bret: in overseas news, al shebob formally joined al-qaeda. the leaders premed aleans to al-qaeda in the past but a video released today from al-qaeda leader ayman

al-zawahiri is the first official welcoming to the group. the muslim brotherhood is calling for egypt's ruling generals to sack the military appointed government. muslim brotherhood controls theory half the seats in the new parliament -- nearly half the seats in the new parliament and said the parliament failed to manage the deteriorating economic situation. arab league official says representatives will discuss this weekend whether to recognize syria's main opposition group as the country's legitimate representative. the democratic response continues, the killing continues as well. we have the report. >> the news of overwhelming force by the syrian army is quickly closing. amateur video that cannot be independently confirmed shows heavy weapon fire in the stronghold. destroying a mosque, speakers and rebels used to broadcast the call of battle rather than

prayer. the armor neighborhood, fighters report more than 100 dead each day. hundreds more missing, wounded or trapped under the rubble. "we don't have the ability to save them" says this doctor in ill-supplied field hospital. the bodies are piled and left. i was ahead of bashar. there is little time for warnings as the attacks move closer. activists on the ground report targeting of civilians. >> what is the u.n. going to do about this? >> united nations resolution condemning the syrian regime vetoed by china and russia long opposing intervention in syria. now it appears president bashar assad still has time as my colleague reporting from beirut. >> the arab league is meeting on sunday. what will be discussed is whether it should recognize

the national council, the main opposition body. >> sunday might be too late. a sky news crew stockpiled for a major assault by forces. >> they want to us leave and say the military is only a mile or two miles away. >> army reinforcement headed on the highway as syrian army scouts have already reached the outskirts of their city. >> resistance fighters are running out of ammunition, men and most importantly time. often they can be heard screaming for god protection as the rockets fall around them. with the world unwilling to consider military intervention. divine help may be the only possible savior. >> bret: followers of anti-american cleric bashar assad sell -- cleric al sadr.

members of the army militia marched through the streets trampling american and british flags. they addressed it by video link from iran. former soviet leader mikhail gorbachev says vladimir putin exhausted his potential as the country's leader. he is expected to reclaim the presidency for next month's election. gorbachev led the soviet union from 1985 until the collapse in 1991. back at home, there are new questions tonight about how the last two presidential administrations handled the release of terrorism suspects from guantanamo bay prison. chief congressional correspondent rahm emanuel has details. >> a new report estimates 27% of the 600 former guantanamo detainees were confirmed or suspected of returning to terrorist activities. >> the study blames the bush and obama managers seeking to

release or transfer detainees in reaction to pressure. desire to earn good will abroad. republican congressman whitman led the study. >> reengagement is the most concerning to us. the policies don't seem to be refined to ensure we're not having detainees return to the battlefield. >> today, speaker boehner expressed his own concerns. >> the clear evidence on the battlefield. >> the top democrat disagreed with the report believing that detainee policy improved and favors closing gitmo and says, "i continue to believe the detention facility at guantanamo bay, cuba, is a black eye for the nation abroad serving as a powerful recruiting tool for terrorists. we have the ability to close the facility and we should be working toward that end."

with the u.s. officials considering releasing afghan detainees as an incentive to bring taliban to peace talks, senator mccain calls that a dangerous and desperate move. >> the release of prisoners takes place after you reach an agreement. not before. >> this is a crazy idea. >> shutting down the facility has proven to be challenging. >> they have a desire to close guantanamo bay. but what do you do with the detainees there? the high value detainees or the high level detainees? >> whitman and colleagues say the department of defense and the intelligence community should carefully study key factors leading to formerdy tain knees returning to the fight. the study trends by country and region to do a better job of prevention. >> bret: thank you. the pentagon is unveiling plans to allow women to serve closer to the front lines in combat situations. defense officials say it will open up as many as 14,000 additional jobs for women.

still ahead, smugglers from mexico expand their business north of the border. first, what isn't being talked about today at the white house.

>> bret: this morning the house passed a bill banning lawmakers and executive branch officials from insider trading. the vote was 417-2. this measure now goes to a conference committee to resolve differences with the senate version. republicans on the house energy committee are threatening subpoenas if the white house does not make several staff members available for interviews about solyndra. the bankrupt solar panel company that received $500 billion in government loan guarantees.

lawmakers also want all internal solyndra communications. white house says it's reviewing the request. but decries what it calls political motivations in the investigation. vice president joe biden said today on a cincinnati radio station the white house will make a significant attempt to work out a dispute with catholics and others over the contraception coverage mandate in president obama's healthcare law. chief white house correspondent ed henry tells us, other than that, there has been a noticeable lack of communication on the subject. >> president obama spent the day talking about housing and education. >> this will be a big help. >> anything but the controversial controversy, as two more senate democrats including former presidential nominee john kerry broke with the the white house to demand changes. while republicans continue to fan the flames. >> you may not agree with him about religious beliefs. that is not the point. the point is the first amendment still allies. >> in a rare move, jay carney

decided not have a daily briefing after facing barrage of question yesterday. the president bristleed when reporters shouted questions about it, at the ol' office meeting with italian prime minister. >> c'mon, guys. thank you. >> senate democrats were none too pleased as the republican roy blunt tried to introduce legislation repealing the rule. >> there is not a rule. everyone should calm down. >> particularly awkward to meet with the italian leader on the same day the president was sharply criticized by archbishop heading to the vatican next week to be installed as cardinal. cardinal dolan of new york charging to cbs news the president broke a promise made in a november ol' office meeting about the upcoming rule. >> i left with high hopes. nothing that his administration would do would impede the good work he had acknowledged in the church. i'm afraid i don't have the sentiment of hopes now. >> white house aides signaled willingness to compromise, two

sources close to dolan tells fox news he has not heard from the white house this week. group filing a lawsuit against the government suggested middle ground will be hard to find. >> we don't need a year or a moment to adapt to this rule, because the rule is unjust. >> democrats are touting polls suggesting many americans including catholics support the rule. >> i don't care for people using my religious rights under the constitution. to dictate to others in ways that would discriminate. >> if the president back pedals he may end up angering some female voters after key allies stood up for him. >> it's about freedom, except apparently not the freedom to make your own healthcare choice. well, we have news for republicans. this is about contraception. >> now official told me he could not say what the president told cardinal designate dolan in november but no decision had been made then. so a source close to dolan

believed there was a promise and not happy informed of the final decision in january in a phone call from the president that was very brief. bret? >> bret: we will continue to follow this. ed herniary live on the north lawn. thank you. president obama is granting waivers to ten states from requirement of the "no child left behind" education law. the president says he is acting because congress failed to update that law. he says the states have promised to improve the way the schools teach and evaluate students. the postal service says it lost $3.3 billion in the final quarter of last year. the postmaster general is warning of a possible suspension of operations this fall. if congress does not address the organization's long-term money problems. >> bret: things keep getting worse for former democratic presidential candidate john edwards. the latest in the grapevine. worried about polar ice melting? you may not be after a quick break.

>> bret: now fresh pickings from the political grapevine. subsidized program for poor people cost consumer $1.5 billion last year. the lifeline system provides low-income americans with free basic cell phones or landlines and covers up to 250 free minutes each month. telecom companies are required to foot the bill and generally pass along the fees to consumers. lifeline enrollment jumped

dramatically in the past few years and costs have more than doubled. last month, the sik fcc had overhaul of the program after audit showed subscribers abusing the system. claire mccaskill complained he is received an invitation in the mail to apply for the program. especially though she is a multimillionaire. >> bret: new research by the university of colorado shows the earth's polar ice is melting less than previously thought. the guardian report scientists use satellite data to determine himalayas and nearby peaks lost no ice in the past ten years. the findings reportedly stunned scientists who maintain that despite the unexpected results, "the new data does not mean that concerns about climate change are overblown in any way." finally, more bad news for former democratic presidential candidate john edwards. his trial surrounding campaign finance violations over money used to hide a sexual affair, was delayed after his lawyers revealed edwards has a serious

heart condition. now newly filed finance reports show the presidential campaign spent nearly $900,000 last year. even though he dropped out of the running in early 2008. the money went to airfare, hotel and legal fees. despite a ruling from the federal election officials that edwards still owed taxpayers more than $2 million in public matching funds. he received after he left the race. one try that is expecting in california is not welcome there. correspondent adam housley reports on new business bringing if mety of trouble. >> along california majestic coast, 250 miles north of the mexican border. sur evidences and sailors have company. >> they are moving further north. >> they're cartel smugglers, bringing drugs and illegal immigrants to the shores of malibu, ventura, santa barbara. >> they want to know coming to the country and prevent bad

things in the country. being effective at sea is as important being effective stopping things across the land border. >> with the land border four hours south, evidents to stop cartel smuggling here intensified. including expansion of maritime patrols in the santa monica bay by the u.s. coast guard. routine patrols here off the coast of california can only find so much, tracking intelligence and good old fashioned luck helps capture some of the smugglers. when they are in boats as small as 25 feet, open bow, it takes the public also to keep an eye out. >> special details. >> the coast guard can't be everywhere at all times. depending on the general public to tell us what they see and whacks periences they've got. that helps us in the path to the ability to defend america from the threats coming from the sea. >> intelligence suggests the boats called pon garbs are lunched by the cartels from northern mexico and travel several hundred miles offshore away from security cameras and

patrols coming ashore in areas known for remote beaches and easy access to highways. >> the lengths that the smugglers go to bring human or contra band in the united states illegally are endless. they really have no regard for lives of the people they are smuggling. >> they're typically armed and protecting valuable cargo. authorities warn they are a threat to anyone they encounter. in malibu, adam housley, fox news. >> the nuclear regulatory commission approved construction of two new nuclear reactors in georgia. they will be built south of augusta and could begin operating as soon as 2016 and 2017. today was the first such approval since 1978. in our solyndra update moments ago i said the bankrupt solar panel company received $500 billion in government loan guarantees. it meant $500 million. just wanted to correct that. the 2012 race and con seventives here in washington. we'll talk about that with the fox all-stars when we come back.

i remember last time around, john mccain lost 19 states on his way to getting the nomination. you have don't win them all. and so i expect i'll lose a number of states before we get to a point i get the 1150 delegates i need. >> romney campaign is about tearing down -- [ inaudible ] not offering some visual. he is not going out to talk about his record. people can say i want a newt gingrich kind of big solution approach. where i know we will stop the problems rather than timidity that both romney and santorum represent. >> bret: sound from three of the four .ial candidates. ron paul was not on the trail

and didn't hold any events today or yesterday. this is ahead of the main caucuses the results that will be announced saturday, late afternoon and early evening. mary kathryn ham, and charles krauthammer. we document talk since tuesday night and the fall-out since. rick santorumed a his campaign out thing surge in finance, getting money. what about the state of the race and what governor romney is saying about his chances looking down the road? >> a huge wrestling match. now you have three people in the ring throwing punchs at each other. at the moment you have mitt romney attacking santorum. aiming fire at santorum and his record we're marks in the senate. saying he is a big labor guy. supporting big labor. and senator santorum on the trail firing back saying wait,

this iser the me down, gotcha politics romney style. what is he going? he tears down people never expresses a vision, view of how he would go about governing the country and changing the obama record. >> bret: is there a sense, do you think, that there is a big speech coming for mitt romney, one where he goes a little bit bolder? he goes a little bit -- puts meat on the economic bone of his speech before. >> i'm not sure i am convinced of that. he has given one of his best speeches ever at cpac when he withdrew from race against mccain. one of his strongest speeches ever. there is potential for that. i think it's hard to change people's mind in the room. the ones for instance are turned off by santorum, the social conservative position, young people might settle on him. he is the best beat to beat obama. >> bret: cpac is the con seventive political action conference in washington where thousands of folks come every year. >> in that room, hard to

change a lot of folks' mind. a lot of them made up their minds. santorum will continue momentum. unless he does something wrong. >> bret: he will speak, romney will speak, newt gingrich will speak. ron paul not speaking at cpac. he is usually, he traditionally has been one of the winners at the straw poll every year. >> i think he won last year. cpac is more important in off years. this year when you actually have elections and you have results, colorado, three states we saw on tuesday. in off-yearous care what the cpac straw poll is. that is less important. it's important as a forum. a place where remaining candidates can strut their wares. i don't expect romney to do anything larm when he speaks but santorum's critique of romney correct. he is a businessman. i'll fix the economy. well, that works if unemployment is at 10%. if it's not, the economy is

slightly improving he has to do something. he needs proposal. major idea. it doesn't have to be revolutionary. reag rag had supply side economics. romney needs something. he has to make something, a serious speech in serious forum to propose something like entitlement reform or tax reform, it doesn't really matter. show he has substance. the romney attack on santorum is also hitting the mark. santorum doesn't have the kind of small government, the prisstine small government record of the kind he professes. that is where he can be vulnerable. >> it's not just the romney campaign going after rick santorum. the gingrich campaign, newt gingrich, himself, pointing to vulnerabilities they say in santorum's past. gingrich campaign is citing a santorum event in harris pug, pennsylvania, nearly two years ago. take a listen. >> i've got real concerns about this moven't within the republican party. and the tea party movement.

to refashion conservatism. i will vocally and publicly oppose it. >> chief party members i have a much stronger following than rick does. is up that it's prescription approximatelyed in that i am supportive of the tea partys. not attack them as he did. fact is he was a big labor republican that voted with the unions. that is part of being a big labor republican. i don't think you can run trying to get support of the afl-cio and the police like pennsylvania. and not have votes that most conservatives would look at dubiously. >> bret: the former speaker saying the big labor republican numerous time in that interview. the response from the santorum campaign, the national communication director about the tea party part. "rick santorum has been praised being a tea party candidate when there was no tea party and has been a staunch supporter of the tea party movement. what he was addressing in the speech is growing concern of libertarian takeoff of the republican party. conservative stands for

smaller limited government like founders believed. not zero government like libertarians believe. the reason the tea party exists is the government healthcare mandate. job crushing cap and tax legislation. the big bank bail-out and form of amnesty. then they point back to gingrich and romney in that. what about that back and forth? >> i must say if you are a libertarian you're drummed out here by rick santorum. i don't think that is a good strategy. the back and foth, as i said, three people now throwing punches in the ring. the battle is who is the most conservative? that is what we're asking. you have are saying he is not a tea party guy. not a conservative. i am the conservative and i deserve the vote. santorum says i'm the conservative, not that mitt romney. romney, i think charles is right. he has to come out and finally say here is why i am the conservative in this race. >> how does it flay the tea party crowd? >> i think santorum on paper has vulnerabilities. not least of which the backing

of specter. >> arlen specter. became a democrat. was a democrat, was a republican, became a democrat. >> when pat toomey challenged him the first time he backed specter, stood with the establishment instead. and some in the conservative movement are upset. he has vulnerabilities. but newt and romney should tread lightly because if my experience as soon as tu new guy is anointed as non-romney people get protective of the person and the reputation and turn against folks who attack him much. while ron paul is gone somebody might want to make a may for young voters. >> bret: where is ron paul in these lead-up to maine where he is expecting to do very well? he cited it in that speech. we played a little from tuesday night. we played it last night. he has been campaigning in maine. but there are times when he takes days off the campaign. and interesting lead-up to different races. >> i don't want to be ageist

but he is 76. he is allow a day off here and there. so he can't really run like a 20-year-old. for a guy who is 76, his energy is astonishing. i think what he is saying by not showing up at cpac where he won last year in the straw poll and being in maine is if he wins in maine that means a lot more than winning a poll here in cpac. i think what he thinks, he hasn't had a win here. he comes in a consistently strong second or third. he gets his constituency, 15%. 20%. just about everywhere. he will go all the way to tampa with that. if he can eke out a win in maine, he is working very hard. he basically is him and romney in the field. that would be feather in his cap. a way of saying i'm a player at the top level. not just somebody who will come in second or third. >> bret: next up the foreclosure abuse settlement. are you in favor of it? what does it mean for you? the panel weighs in.

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we have preached a landmark -- reached a land mark settlement to speed relief to hardest hit homeowners and some of the most abusive practices of the mortgage industry. and begin to turn the page on an era of recklessness that has left so much damage in its wake. >> they didn't tell us the real truth which is principle reduction is only impact 10% of the mortgages in the country. he's creating false expectations so people have a cynicism when they hear agreements. >> a lot of negotiation and a deal with the five big banks. $25 billion settlement. the obama administration and 49 states not oklahoma to

clean up the foreclosure scandal, including robo-signing foreclosures. take a look at the specifics here. 49 of 50 states are signing on again. not oklahoma. includes bank of america, citigroup, j.p. more gan chase, wells fargo and ally. officials are saying it could help up to 1 million struggling homeowners. here is the breakdown. $17 billion to reduce mortgage principle for a lot of them. cuts $20,000 or so to avoid foreclosure. especially for those who are under water. those worth less than the mortgage. $3 billion to lower interest rates for thousands more here. and $5 billion will go to paying small settlements to families who lost their homes in foreclosure and possibly without due process. this is a big deal when it comes to mortgages. it does not as you heard include fannie mae and freddie mac. back with the panel. charles, your thoughts on this? >> settlement amount is large. but there is substance in

politics here. substance, it's fairly narrowly tailored so it doesn't completely protect the banks from liability. it's narrowly tailored to address robo signing. and mortgage service abuses. it doesn't touch the slicing and the dicing of the original mortgages. which is sort of at the root of the whole problem originally. it's also not only tailored as we heard. it only touches one in ten of people owning the mortgages. on the politics of it, i think for obama it's a feather in his cap. it's a big number. it sounds like a big number. in proportion to the problem it's small. but it's still a lot of money. of course, it's the best, ideal for politician. people getting money pew through the coercion if you like of private industry. the banks. rather than out of the treasury. so, it doesn't add on to the debt. it doesn't add on to the deficit. people end up with some of the money in their pocket.

so i think for him, it's a big day. a big win. >> well, forgive me if i am a little skeptical how it will play out. charles was right. politically it's a good look for obama. something is happening even if it's just on margin with something that the people are worried about. it reminds me of the b&g colombian music festival. six years later you got certificate for $12 to spend on a cd. in the large settlements you get diminishing returning and the people hurt and people who real hi did endure misuse of power by the banks will probably not get a lot of help here. and the same with the tobacco settlement. you saw the federal government, the state government and the large entities get together in the tobacco settlement, you saw people benefited and not from the people sick from tobacco.

>> bret: juan? >> the key to my mind comes from the big lenders from the bank of america, that group. not out of federal government. >> bret: many of them took federal money in the tarp bail-out. >> correct. >> i think that is responsible. that plays in the political sentment that nobody wants federal money used here. the critical issue is that if you are looking at the overall american economy, trying to get that economy back on track. the housing market has been a problem. and the obama administration performance here has not been great. to put it lightly. so what you are getting now is they are coming to the party. they say there is more to come yet in terms of dealing with fannie and freddie and those bundleed these in to the investment security instruments, the mortgages. that is yet to be done. they are also trying to get more out of congress in terms of help for something that the president i think called very worth noting responsible homeowners. so as to the delineate them from people who the american public would feel they should

haven't been given mortgages in the first place. it was rampant abuse by the lenders and the government to be offering these mortgages to people who can't afford them. >> the obama administration, though, has been at the party for a while. tarp, harp, tamp, sorry for all the -- that's what they are called. the massive reify suggested in the "state of the union" no, sign of passing or sign of being different than harp or hamp. dodd frank ignored fannie and freddie. he has had chances to deal with it. it feels like tippingering on the edges. >> the banks will now have some certainty about how much they have to repay. it may not be what everybody wants. now they know and they can now put some of the money back in the home origination of mortgages. good for the economy. >> tarp, tamp, hamp, hemp, all the programs -- >> bret: i don't think there was a hemp. ron paul is on that one. >> hemp. the item is the president has to give appearance of action in motion. we saw it in the "state of the

union" address. there is nothing large he is proposing. a huge overhang in debt. it's the appearance of motion which is what a president wants. >> that is it for the panel. stay tuned to see one interesting project from the white house science fair.

jooz ask. >> bret: finally tonight, president obama spent some time this week touring the white house science fair and was particularly interested and impressed with one project, an air cannon that the student inventor says shoots marshmallows. apparently it might come in handy on the campaign trail. >> [inaudible] >> yeah. i think. [ laughter ] >> terrible problem with jobs. whoa. >> bret: oh, yes, video. thanks for inviting us into